Achieve your dreams faster and easier with the help of a professional mentor
Whether you want to fast track your songwriting development, get personalised songwriting feedback and tips, or make the transition to having a professional career, having a mentor walk beside you every step of the way, with advice, encouragement, guidance and accountability is going to help make your dreams a reality faster and more efficiently than if you were trying to do it alone.
Learn from some of the best in the business! Many of our mentors are published, award-winning songwriters and internationally recognised artists who are ready to help you to achieve your songwriting and career goals. Having spent decades refining their craft, they have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to share. What might take you years to figure out on your own, you might figure out in a session or two with your mentor.
Mentorship is included in our Songwriting Course for Adults and Kids which is the perfect place to begin if you are just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support to establish a firm foundation. It covers the basics of songwriting and everything you need to know to start writing your first songs.
And for songwriters who dream of being artists, mentorship is available as part of Level Up Club . This professional development program will guide you through current and best practice for releasing your recorded songs, touring and more with high quality personalised education and mentorship from professional artists and industry professionals.
Read more about each of our mentors below and check out some of their songs and career highlights
Francesca de Valence
Course Creator & Lead Mentor
Francesca de Valence is an Australian artist, award-winning songwriter, international speaker and educator, and founder of I Heart Songwriting Club, helping emerging singer-songwriters inspire their way to success in a music career they love. She has been acknowledged by the Los Angeles Music Awards with an International Songwriter of the Year Award and also holds an Australian Songwriting Award. Francesca has supported artists including Jimmy Webb, her music can be heard on ABC radio around Australia.
With a background in tertiary, secondary and primary music education (M.Mus, B.Mus, B.Ed), Francesca has written a monthly column for Songwriting Magazine UK, produced a fortnightly ABC Radio songwriting segment and continues to facilitate songwriting workshops nationally and internationally for organisations and PROs including APRA AMCOS (Australia/New Zealand) & IMRO (Ireland).
Simon Shapiro
Songwriting Course Mentor
Simon Shapiro is a classic story telling and award winning singer-songwriter, though best known for his work in support of other artists, writing songs with and for established artists such as Darryl Braithwaite, 1927 and Shannon Noll.
As a musician, Simon has toured with international acts including Martika, Limahl, 1927, Belinda Carlisle and shared the stage with industry giants such as Simple Minds, Roxette and Michael McDonald. Specific to country music, Simon co-wrote the hit song ‘Beyond These City lights’ which Jayne Denham took to the top of the country charts in 2013.
‘City Talks’ from Simon’s first solo album won the Park Music Film Music festival Gold prize for soundtrack and was described by the American film music magazine as “the best power ballad that Ryan Adams didn’t perform”. ‘Lover Of Life’ , also from Simon’s first solo album, was a finalist in the Nashville Songwriters association awards in the country music category.
Simon has won the Australian Songwriters association songwriter of the year, APRA songwriters award at MusicOz and was bass player for iconic Aussie band 1927 for 10 years.
Helen Shanahan
Songwriting Course Mentor
Recently returned from London to her hometown of Perth, WA, folk singer-songwriter Helen Shanahan is a published songwriter with Mushroom Music. Helen’s thoughtful observations and introverted reflections of everyday situations are beautifully captured in her music.
A graduate from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) majoring in voice, Helen has released 2 EPs and a debut album with considerable success. In 2013 she won the songwriting award in the national competition ‘Telstra Road to Discovery’. She has played at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne, the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Canadian Music Week, BIGSOUND festival in Brisbane, Queenscliff music festival, the iconic New York bar ‘The Bitter End’, and the Americana festival in Nashville.
Helen has played support to Missy Higgins, Passenger, Matt Corby, The Paper Kites, Ian Moss, Angie McMahon. In 2018 Helen won the Western Australian Music Industry ‘Song of the Year’ award for her song ‘I Only Hide’.
Roz Pappalardo
Level Up Club Mentor
If there is one thing certain about music careers, it’s that they rarely evolve in a straight line – there are always creative detours and diversions. The best artists know just to roll with it. To open their minds and try something new. And there are few finer examples of that in Australian music today than Roz Pappalardo.
For the best part of two decades, Roz has been shaking things up, challenging perceptions and very much forging her own direction through the music landscape. Though she’s best known as half of the much-loved duo, women in docs – which gave her the space to hone her songwriting smarts and showcase her powerful voice – Roz has since explored terrain as diverse as rock, country, folk and even musical theatre, releasing more than 10 records in the process.
Now based in Cairns, the one constant through Roz’s career has been a drive to do her own thing and consequences be damned. Nowhere is that more apparent than on her striking new solo album, “Won’t Be Quiet” (2021) after four lead up singles spanning rock, alternative and country genres.
People are starting to take me seriously as an artist now. Doing this work has resulted in real momentum for my career and I love it. I am more confident than ever and I know that the music career that I dreamed of is really achievable for me now.
My songwriting mentor always provides constructive feedback and knows how to support me in my weaknesses and highlights my strengths.
The goal setting and accountability to taking action has had the biggest impact on my music business, and now, just 5 months into the program, I’ve actually released my debut single. This is my music dream and I’m now living it!
I feel I have grown so much in confidence and in my songwriting ability due to the guidance from the course and my mentor.
My mentor offered invaluable advice and guidance which empowered me to find the answers I need for myself.
The mentorship support I’ve received has taken me from being a dreamer to a doer.
My mentor’s feedback was detailed, caring, and supportive. This was targeted learning that I wasn’t able to find elsewhere.